Year 6, Day 5: Isaiah 21

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: King

• King: This is the pinnacle of the Kingdom Triangle.  When we look towards God’s position in the universe, we acknowledge that He is an omnipotent king.  Authority comes from Him.  Power comes through His authority.  He is looking for representatives for His kingdom.

Isaiah 21 talks about the destruction of three different cultures at the hands of the Assyrians.  The Babylonians will fall, and this is where most of the chapter content resides.  The people of Edom – which is likely to what Dumah refers – will fall.  In fact, it is likely that Dumah is the Assyrian word for Edom, implying that in spirit Edom has already fallen.  Finally we have the people of Arabia falling as well.  The message is bleak.  The people of the Middle East will be swallowed up by Assyria.

The question with which I am left is why these countries will fall.  There are two messages being portrayed here and both have the same underlying principle.  The countries will fall because they have allowed other things to become their focus.  They are not in relationship with God.  They believe their strength and power is within themselves.  God is not their King.  It’s actually that simple.

The other message that this chapter brings comes in a reminder of why Isaiah wrote these warnings.  Remember that the nations about which Isaiah wrote may not have ever heard Isaiah’s words.  That means that these words are likely for the Hebrew people.  God’s message is simple.  The nations around the Hebrew people will fall.  They cannot help them.  They will not be there to save them.  The only way that the Hebrew people will be saved is if they turn and remember that God is king.  We do know that the people of Israel will not turn.  But the people of Judah will turn in their darkest hour.  That’s the reason Isaiah speaks.  Isaiah reminds the people that their hope remains only in God their true king.

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